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U.Arizona.EDU>Green, S. (2000)(Ed.). New Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Modern Languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. 194 pages. Reviewed by Dalila Ayoun, University of Arizona. New Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Modern Languages, edited by Simon Green, is divided into three parts with three chapters each by various authors. Part I, entitled Research-Based Critical Analysis, considers learning and teaching strategies (M. Grenfell); learner autonomy: why foreign languages should occupy a central role in the curriculum (D. Little); and motivation and the learners of modern languages (G. Chambers). Part II, entitled the Current Educational Context, considers the primary sector (A. Gregory), modern languages within a policy for language in education (C. Brumfit), and higher education (A. Lodge). The third and last part focuses on Classroom Practice: logging on to learning, ICT, modern languages and real communicative classrooms (P. Hood); vocational languages (J. Thorogood); and meeting the challenge: developing the 3Cs curriculum (D. Doyle). The variety of the chapters under each part makes for an interesting and comprehensive overview of the current state of learning and teaching foreign languages in Europe (primarily Britain). With the exception of a handful of chapters, this edited volume reads well and most chapters present a solid literature review as a supporting background to their arguments even if, as acknowledged in conclusion by the editor (S. Green), "a lot of the ideas in this book are not new" (p. 183). The book was prompted by the desire to address three crucial questions: where are we now? Where could we be by 2005? And how could we get there? These questions seem to be a good starting point in a critical evaluation of this volume. Where does Britain stand now in terms of its foreign language teaching and training? There is a clear consensus throughout the book that the British education system suffers from a lack of a specific, well-thought out language policy as an integral part of the national curriculum. This lack of clear planning compromises the initiative of the early teaching of modern languages in Britain, contrary to most other European countries. For example, the Scottish National Primary Languages Network has been very successful. A. Gregory in Chapter IV correctly points out that questions of starting age, goals, content, liaison, continuity, specific goals and objectives would have to be addressed before a similar program could be implemented in Britain; but in so doing, she doesn't mention that most of the answers are already present in the theoretical and empirical literature in bilingualism and second/foreign language acquisition. Brumfit's chapter V is more useful in suggesting concrete measures toward a national, well coordinated effort such as a Language Charter with specific and well grounded theoretical and practical principles. He also proposes to recognize and take into account that other languages are already spoken in Britain, that various languages play different roles and that languages contribute to oneUs identity. Integrating foreign languages into the entire curriculum is clearly a crucial step. Chapter VI is equally well written and persuasive in its efforts to convince readers what should be taken as a given: general (theoretical and applied) linguistics needs to contribute to a strong theoretical background to both student learning and teacher training. Metalinguistic awareness can only benefit foreign language learners, while making a significant and understated contribution to the methodology and pedagogical approaches foreign language instructors choose. In addition, how can foreign language instructors teach effectively without an awareness of (first and second) language acquisition theories? Finally, Chapter VIII by Thorogood, also makes a significant contribution to the evaluation of the current state of foreign language teaching in Britain by considering vocational languages, an area all too often neglected. The author attempts to stress how vocational language and academic language converge rather than diverge although there are indisputable differences between the two. An important point is in the distinction between examination and assessment partially addressed by the European global assessment scale levels, similar to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The chapters dealing with the actual classroom methodologies all express their deep dissatisfaction with the way the communicative approach has taken over foreign language classrooms or rather with the way it has been implemented, which barely distinguishes it from the direct method for instance. Thus chapter IX stresses the need for a more meaningful and challenging communication, in other words a revision of the content of communication rather than the methodology itself. The context of communication, i.e., the classroom and the curriculum, must be revisited. Again, these points have been already made elsewhere in the literature along with the point underlying the need for negotiation of meaning in real-life interactions as is well supported by some of the empirical research cited in chapter VII. Thus, the question is not whether language learners would benefit from opportunities to use all four skills in a motivating, challenging communicative environment with a content-based approach which creates interactive activities during which learners can notice and correct their errors as they restructure their interlanguage. The question is how to implement such an approach and to create such an environment. P. Hood proposes in chapter VII that these goals may be reached with the help of CALL (computer assisted language learning). All schools would be online, they would have networked multimedia packages and use an interactive whiteboard for a greater availability of current material and personalized instruction of all four skills. CALL could also partially alleviate the motivation problem outlined by Chambers in chapter III, although the study's findings reported in that chapter indicate that computers and teaching methodology do not have much importance compared to the students' opinion or perception of their teachers -- especially at the primary level where students are less likely to be self motivated. The communicative approach could also benefit from a greater focus on learner and teacher autonomy as advocated in chapter II by D. Little who shows that autonomy is a natural tendency in human behavior. Autonomy in language learning could lead to more effective and meaningful communication as the learners would decide curriculum content in collaboration with teachers as successfully done in a handful of classrooms (Dam, 1995). Thus the current state of foreign language learning and teaching is very clearly described and understood. The question of where Britain would like to be in the next five years is best addressed in chapters IV and V with the proposed National Primary Language Network and Language Charter. However, it is unclear how these suggestions could be implemented in the face of the pervasive problems Britain has traditionally faced such as the endemic lack of interest for foreign languages (partially explained by the British insularity and the fact that English is a lingua franca thanks to the economic power of United States) and the lack of a national policy which integrates foreign language learning and teaching into the curriculum. A daunting task indeed. Dam, L. (1995). Learner autonomy 3: from theory to classroom practice. Dublin: Authenktik. Short biography: University of Arizona, French & Italian, and PhD program in SLAT. Background and research interests include French linguistics, second language acquisition of syntax, computer- and web-based empirical research, foreign language methodology. ********************************************************************* Dalila Ayoun - ayounMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue